This Is Living

Alice (Rebekah Carton) and Michael (Damian Okulic) appear like any ordinary couple with the trials and tribulations of maintaining a relationship. The play revisits a number of contrasting moments in their story: their first encounter, deciding to get married, the birth of their daughter Lily - all intermingled with their moments of division and tension. However, there is nothing ordinary about their tale. As the play unfolds it becomes clear that Michael is, in fact, speaking to the ghost of Alice or that her presence on stage is conjured by his recollections of their relationship. Once this becomes clear the play takes on a very eerie tone and becomes incredibly poignant.

Liam Borrett takes a very non-linear approach to the text and creates a series of vignettes that move backwards and forwards in time in a seemingly ad hoc manner. One of the strengths of this text is its rawness and the naturalness of the dialogue. The exchanges range from being gentle and tender to being harsh or brutally honest. Carton and Okulic manage the very intimate and sensitive nature of their exchanges and their great rapport easily conveys the very touching essence of the story. Carton also effectively embodies the ethereal quality of her role and often beautifully captures the intensity of the emotions.

The simple setting and costuming allow the transition to different times and places to work seamlessly. The lighting and sound effects also unequivocally signal these transitions and help to create an aura of mystery. The dialogue provides good contextualisation of the time and place of the play but given the British setting the reason for such strong Australian accents is left to the imagination. The staging is delicate and focuses on the relationship in an intense manner, however, it is restricted to a relatively small area despite the large expanse of space available on stage.

This is a very powerful drama and this production is handled with dignity, elegance and finesse from almost every angle.

Patricia Di Risio 

Photographer: Cameron Grant